Master of Knowledge
by Fox-Soul-Writer
Summary: A young mage soon finds herself as the protector of a mysterious tome, handed down to her by a Dunmer who had taken her in and raised her as his own sister. With a new cult rising the young Imperial mage must track down the sacred Daedric tomes and keep them from falling into the hands of a group that everyone had thought had fallen long ago. Warning: Swearing and violence.
1. Chapter 1

_Hey again! Here's an all new Elderscrolls story! It's mostly for a joke but I am turning it into a jokey sequel to 'Back to Oblivion'. This story will not focus on Sylvi (my OC) or Celestra (dragonlegend's OC). Rather, it will focus on an all new OC of mine, Alcina. I hope you enjoy and I welcome critiques!_

Chapter 1

An Imperial rushed through the forest towards a small village in The Rift, her mage robes fluttering as the wind picked up. Her ocean blue eyes widened as she spotted a group of bandits chasing after her. She lifted her hand, fire swirling around and licking at her palm before she launched the missile at her attackers. As the flames spread to the surrounding trees the Imperial vanished, casting an invisibility spell and taking to the darkness of the forest.

She slowed to a walking pace and ended the spell when she arrived back at her home. It was a small village, fairly new as well. She had been travelling with a group of mercenaries from Morrowind when they decided to set up a base to settle down. They were hoping to start their own guild in Skyrim. Alcina had joined them when she was very young. She had been taken in by one of the mercenaries and raised as their little sister, and was taught the skills of a thief and a mage.

She slipped into the village and into a humbly built cabin where her brother lived. As she entered the house she saw two Dunmers sitting by a small fireplace. The woman was cooking up supper and the man was polishing his short sword. The man smiled as he set the blade down, "Ah, there you are. I was beginning to wonder what trouble you had gotten yourself into."

"The usual, Maharo." Alcina smiled at the male and handed him over a bag filled with daggers and gems, "I managed to swipe a few things from the bandits."

"Maven will be happy that you did such a good job." Maharo chuckled and ruffled the girl's hair.

The woman whistled proudly as she looked at the bag before looking at the young Imperial, "Why don't you go play for a little bit? Supper will be ready in an hour."

"Okay, Lacita." Alcina nodded before leaving the house.

Alcina glanced around before scaling the back of the house. She pulled herself onto the roof and picked up a book she had left there earlier in the day. It was a large, heavy tome she had picked up while visiting the college at Winterhold. She had always been enthralled by large, old books. One of the mages had jokingly suggested that perhaps Alcina's parents were scholars or mages, which would explain the almost inherent draw she had towards knowledge and the search of it.

Alcina never knew her parents. She had been abandoned at an orphanage when she was a baby. Once she was old enough to leave she decided to take up mercenary work. At the age of thirteen she found herself in Morrowind looking for work. She had been lucky to find a new band that was trying to start up a guild and were looking for any new members. It didn't take long before she proved herself to be worth their time. Maharo had taken Alcina under his wing to teach her magic, saying that her thieving skills were fine enough but her magic needed refining. When she was twenty Maharo married Lacita, a lovely Dunmer woman who had always been like a mother-figure to Alcina.

Alcina flipped open the book and rested her back against the chimney. Her eyes scanned the pages as she took in the knowledge. A few strands of hair fell into her face, telling her that the tie holding her bangs back and off her face had come loose. She ignored it, opting to merely brush the strands behind her ear. She frowned slightly as she peered closely at the pages. Her glasses were being repaired by Gohljor, the group's blacksmith. She never gave glasses a second thought until Maharo had noticed her looking at the pages of books a little too closely while studying. After a little bit he managed to get her to a friend who confirmed that she needed glasses, even if they were just for reading. She rarely saw people with glasses outside the major cities. They were very hard to make and by that effect they were also very pricey. Maharo had given Alcina her glasses as a birthday gift for her eighteenth birthday.

She returned her attention to her book and began scanning the pages. It wasn't until a voice called out to her that she noticed just how late it had gotten. The sun was beginning to dip below the horizon, throwing an orange-gold glow into the cold sky. She looked up as Maharo climbed onto the roof, "Alcina, supper's been ready for over an hour now." He spotted the book in her hands, "Ah, I see. You little bookworm."

"I guess I lost track of time." Alcina said softly as she tucked the book under her arm.

"Ah, no worries kiddo. Now, come eat. If you want to bury yourself in reading you need brain food first." He chuckled before scaling back down, "Oh, Gohljor brought your glasses over. He said try to make sure you don't drop them off a cliff again."

"Hey, at least I blasted those bastards off the cliff." She smirked, "I call it a fair trade. Besides, I had more than enough coin to pay him to repair my glasses."

Supper went smoothly as usual. As everyone finished eating Maharo got up and pulled a large black book off the shelf above the fireplace. He had always treasured that one book above all others and treated it with the upmost care. Alcina blinked in surprise as he set it down in front of her.

"This book is very important to my family. My grandfather found it and passed it on to my father, who passed it onto me." He took a seat and clasped his hands together, "And now I think it's time I pass it on to you."

"What?!" Alcina gaped, "But shouldn't it go to your own child?"

"I think you've proven yourself as a strong enough person to be trusted with it." He smiled softly, "Besides, as far as I'm concerned you are my little sister."

"I…" Alcina stared at the book then at Maharo, trying to find the right words, "I promise to take care of it and keep it safe."

"Now… When you first open it you may be scared, but just trust that it won't hurt you. Don't let it get the better of you." Maharo said before yawning, "I'll explain more in the morning."

"But where did your grandfather find this book? Who wrote it?" She asked as she looked over the spine and covers, finding nothing but the black covering.

"That's part of the book's secret." Maharo smirked and tapped her nose with his finger, "And it's something for you, young mage, to see for yourself." He stood up, "Now, off to bed."

Alcina rolled her eyes, "I'm not a child, Maharo. I'm twenty two."

"Yes, but that's a child in Dunmer years. Now off to bed, bookworm." He gestured towards one of the doors on the other side of the room.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Alcina awoke to the smell of smoke and the sound of shouts. Lacita burst into Alcina's bedroom, tossing the young woman her robes while watching the front door with a worried look on her face. Alcina jumped from her bed, "What's going on?"

"Rogues are attacking." Lacita said quickly, "Maharo and the others are busy fighting them right now."

"I'll help!" Alcina declared as she tossed on her robes and started to run for the door.

Lacita grabbed the girl and pulled her back, "You must not! Alcina listen closely, we need you to take the black book and run. Run as far and as fast as you can. You cannot let the rogues have that book. Do you understand?"

"What do they want with the book?" Alcina asked.

Lacita looked up quickly as someone cried in fear outside, "Go to the college, they will explain everything. Now run! We'll be fine! Meet us back at Raven Rock! We will tell you everything then!"

The world spun as Lacita opened up the door to the cellar and shoved the young Imperial into the darkness along with the large black tome. It took the young mage a moment before she tossed open the cellar and scooped up the tome. She cast an invisibility spell before she took off into the cold night. If she could get to Riften she could alert the guards and hop a carriage to Winterhold, then grab a boat to Raven Rock on the island of Solstheim.

She darted through the darkness, sticking to the bushes and trees as she rushed towards the city. She half almost there when a Spriggan appeared from behind a tree and moved to slash at the Imperial with its long wood talons. She dodged to the side and raised a hand to torch the creature only to have her foot slip. She glanced down quickly and saw a steep slope. She tried to grab the edge of the cliff but her reach fell short. The Imperial tumbled down the cliff before landing on the ground with a heavy thud. She groaned as she pulled herself onto her knees. She spotted the tome lying a foot in front of her open. She reached out to grab it when a spark of energy leapt from the page and nipped at her fingertips. Her hand shot to her chest as she stared at the book in shock.

A strange, dark energy filled the air as long, writhing tentacles sprang from the book and wrapped the Imperial. She fought the tentacles off, but neither magic nor blade seemed to be able to deter the tentacles. The world turned dark as the tentacles dragged the struggling Imperial towards the tome.

When Alcina opened her eyes she found herself in a strange world. The sky was a sickly green-yellow colour with dark clouds. What wasn't a void of green –yellow and clouds was a bubbling ocean of black-green ooze. Platforms that linked together were the only things that could count for solid ground. Some platforms were on the bottom, resting on the top of the ooze, while others branched off into the sky, and others still moved from side to side like worm-like tunnels connecting places that had to ramps or steps to use otherwise. Alcina looked at the black tome in front of her and tried to grab it again, this time not getting zapped. She clutched the book to her chest as she stood up and looked around.

Her eyes scanned the area as she tried to figure out where she was. She took a few hesitant steps before walking down one of the tunnels that did not move. The walls seemed to be made of old books and paper. She reached out a wary hand and brushed her fingers over the spine of one of the books. She stepped out onto a new platform and looked around. She froze as she spotted a ghostly creature that looked like it was composed mostly of tentacles. She crouched low to the ground, clutching the book to her chest still as she tried to sneak past the creature. She had read about the creature before in one of Maharo's old books. A Seeker. But those were only found in the realm of Hermaeus Mora, the Daedric Prince of knowledge. The Imperial gulped. She had always been fascinated by the Daedra, but she'd never learned much about the realms of Oblivion. She murmured a quick prayer to Azura before attempting to sneak past the Seeker.

Now, be it that Azura did not hear the prayer, or maybe Daedric Princes didn't like people praying to another Prince in their own realm, or maybe some god had a twisted sense of humor, but as Alcina began to sneak by a tentacle shot from the ooze and whipped the ground behind her. A sharp whack and a shriek cut through the air. Alcina's heart jumped into her throat as the Seeker turned and looked at her. A whine filled the air as it created a duplicate of itself before hovering over to the Imperial.

Alcina jumped to her feet and took off down a long hall of books. She jumped onto one of the moving tunnels and struggled to keep her footing as she scrambled to the other end. She tossed herself onto a platform as the tunnel swung by it and landed hard. She stood up and rushed across a platform only to skid to a halt. She peered over the edge and found herself at a dead end. A sick sky and ocean of ooze stretched out before her. She turned slowly as a whine filled the air. The two Seekers floated onto the platform and started making their way towards her.

Alcina braced herself and she clutched at the book. Her mind raced as she tried to figure a way out of the situation she was in. A rumble filled the air and the Seekers halted and, after a moment, they seemed to nod and float away. Alcina's heart pounded in her chest as she gulped in some air, not aware that she had held her breath in fear for so long. She tensed as a voice caught her attention.

"Well, well… I see he has passed on my book." A calm male voice said.

Alcina turned only to stumble backwards away from the edge of the platform. A cloud black-purple form hovered in the air above her. A single large eye watched the Imperial with an intrigued curiosity as tentacles stretched and moved lazily from the void-like body that housed the eye. It took a moment for Alcina to find her voice, "Herma-Mora…"

"You sound surprised?" The voice said with a touch of irritation, "I would hope the former keeper of my book would have told you more before giving passing it on."

Alcina gripped the book to her chest, "My brother is in danger! Rogues attacked-"

The Prince chuckled, "Rogues? That's a funny name for them." The eye narrowed, "Those 'rogues' are the Black Swords of Ebonarm."

"What?" Alcina furrowed her brows, "It that some new cult?"

The Prince looked frustrated, or as frustrated as a tentacle eye could look, about having to explain the situation, "A couple hundred years before your time there was a team of Daedric Minions who fought back the Vigilants of Stendarr in Skyrim."

"Sylvi Whiteman and Celestra Bane. I've heard their tales. Sylvi worked with Clavicus Vile and Celestra worked with Boethia. Together with the help of their Daedric Allies, as well as guild members who they were also allies with, they fought off the Vigilants and cut their power down to almost nothing." Alcina said as she mentally went over a book from the college she had gotten her hands on a few years back.

"Work with." Hermaeus Mora corrected, "They are both still alive and well." The eye sparked with amusement, "It is very hard to kill legends such as them. Now, back to the Black Swords. When Sylvi and Celestra defeated the Vigilants some of the survivors fled either to another province, or went into hiding. A sect of the Vigilants started following Ebonarm, the god of war and enemy of the Daedra. They are a small group but still troublesome. They won't go after Clavicus Vile or Boethiah. They know they would have the wrath of legends come down on them and they do not wish to be wiped off the face of Nirn just yet. What they want are the secrets of the Daedra, and the only way they can get those…"

"Is through the book." Alcina stated.

"Through any of my books." He stated, "And that, my little seeker of knowledge, is why you have this book. And it would seem it is also the reason fate has brought you into my grasp."

"What do you want?" The Imperial asked, wary of what deal the Prince might try to trap her in.

"I want you to hunt down my books that have been scattered across the land. They need to be kept away from the Black Swords." He stated simply, "It has been so long since I had a minion on Nirn to be my eyes, my ears, and my weapon." He voice too on a dark hum.

"I will find your books, but I need you to do something for me!" Alcina declared.

"Oh?" The voice was layered in a sheet of amusement and interest, "And what might that be, mortal?"

"Save my brother and his village!" She declared, "I want them kept safe from the Black Swords!"

"And why would I do this…?"

"My brother guarded your book diligently for years." She took a breath, "And if you need my help so badly then this should be a small price to pay for my help!"

The eye looked to be deep in thought, "That would change their fate, and that is not within my sphere of influence."

"Then ask Mephala!"

The eye stared at the Imperial for a moment before vanishing. Alcina looked around and, after a long minute of silence, sat on the edge of the platform. She closed her eyes as she tried to think of a way out of the realm of forbidden knowledge. After a moment a rumble filled the air again. The Imperial looked up and saw the Daedric Prince hovering in the air above her. His voice was curt, "It is done. The Dunmer and his village have been saved. Now, my thrall… You have a task to attend to. Do not disappoint me."

Tentacles shot from the ooze and wrapped around the Imperial mage. After a few tense seconds they slid away and Alcina found herself standing just inside a small city she hadn't seen in years. The sooty grey-red dirt smelled the same as it had before. Miners went about their usual business while traders and market stall owners peddled their wares. It was a city that had been her home for a brief period. Raven Rock.


End file.
